Mosher W D, Williams L B, Johnson D P
National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
Demography. 1992 May;29(2):199-214.
In the United States, the baby boom-era pattern of high Catholic and low Protestant fertility has ended. Among non-Hispanic whites in the 1980s, Catholic total fertility rates (TFRs) were about one-quarter of a child lower than Protestant rates (1.64 vs. 1.91). Most of the Protestant-Catholic difference is related to later and less frequent marriage among Catholics. Future research on the demography of religious groups should focus on explaining the delayed marriage pattern of Catholics, the high fertility of Mormons and frequently attending Protestants, and the very low fertility of those with no religious affiliation.
在美国，婴儿潮时期天主教徒生育率高、新教徒生育率低的模式已经结束。在20世纪80年代的非西班牙裔白人中，天主教徒的总生育率（TFR）比新教徒低约四分之一个孩子（1.64对1.91）。新教徒和天主教徒之间的差异大多与天主教徒结婚较晚且频率较低有关。未来关于宗教群体人口统计学的研究应着重解释天主教徒晚婚模式、摩门教徒和经常参加宗教活动的新教徒的高生育率，以及无宗教信仰者的极低生育率。
